I am getting into hunting and have been out a few times with some success, but my partners always bring the gun and I do the calling. I am wanting to buy a good rifle for hunting coyotes, foxes, groundhogs, etc... I want something that shoots far, but don't do a lot of damage to the hides/animals. My brother got a 308, but it does way to much damage, or so they say....let me know what you think...or if you have something to sell...
There are a number of exotic custom calibers out there, but I think you would be well served with a 223 bolt rifle. Ammo is available everywhere at relatively low cost, it is accurate, and should meet your needs. If you are calling in closed quarters, it is advisable for one of you to have a shotgun for the coyotes.
John
A 223 wouldnt be a bad choice, there are a million and one different kinds of ammo out there for it, everything from stuff that maybe you shouldnt put through your gun to match grade stuff, the 223 is a breeze to load for as well, a 22-250 or 243 wouldnt be a bad choice either, now is the time to buy a varmint rifle as well..many shops are trying to get them off there shelves to make room for other stuff until the spring varmint season comes back in.
.17 and .204 are great and little pelt damage, but try shooting 300 yds with a crosswind. They drift badly. But don't get me wrong, not knocking them, they are a great cartridge, just a bit on the light side.
.17 and .204 are great and little pelt damage, but try shooting 300 yds with a crosswind. They drift badly. But don't get me wrong, not knocking them, they are a great cartridge, just a bit on the light side.
Last year I picked up a New England Arms Handi-Rifle in .223 cal.
although it being a single shot it got me into the game cheap and
it's very accurate. Mine seems to shoot Remington Express PSP
the best 1/2" group at 100 yds.
Thies rifles do come in alot of calibers. I chose the .223 for the
price vs the performance.
I love the 308, but like has been said they are not fur friendly, Like others have said the 223 is great but I think the 204 is just a little better. If you want to keep the pelts you may consider the 22 Hornet loaded with the 33 grain Speer at about 3100fps. Deadly out to about 100+ yards and no exit wounds., a great little combo. Here are a couple of my favorites
I feel like handling qualities and a quick follow up are little more important than tack driving accuracy in a rifle, if you are sticking to coyotes with it. That being said, IMHO, the AR platform is the gold standard and can be found for a little more than a good bolt gun. I would probably go for a Mini-14 as a #2 pick.
Just a thought, but unless you want to hand load your own, stick with the old standards ; 22-250, 222, 223, 243, & now 204. Love the 220 Swift but ammo is not easy to come by & expensive; same for the 17 & it does drift if the wind is really kicking (all bullets drift). The 308 with the right load won't do much pelt damage either .... that's a myth. A larger bullet doesn't always mean big pelt damage as it will barely expand going through. I use a 30-06 (it's what I got as a teenager 30 years ago) with either 110 or 125 grain hand loads & it does an awesome job with very little pelt damage & I can use it for larger game if the chance comes up.
By the way, a grade A large 'yote may get you $20 bucks or just over .... not much money for the work involved.
If many homes are in the area , go light to avoid richochets.
T
i love the 17 myths, i'd love to show you in person what happens to them on wind drift. come on out to the range sometime and we'll look at the wind drift differences.
Like I said, all bullets drift in the wind ..... it's just simple physics. The lighter the bullet, the greater the drift. However, if you shoot enough, you can learn the characteristics & compensate.
Have a very good friend who is a former sniper & now instructor ; he opened my eyes up to it years ago ....... it's not necessarily a bad thing, you just have to be aware of it. Why do you think snipers use heavier calibers ??
Yes, the .17 drifts.... so does any .22 caliber, and any other bullet, but the 17 will drift the most out of these just because it is the lightest.... Shoot a 40 gr. out of .22-250 in the wind and then swap it with a 58 gr.- SURPRISE- You can see the difference..... Physics, my dear Watson...
I like the .223 .flat shooting ,with a variety of bullet weights .I had a .17 and the bullet didnt have enough mass for clean kills on ground hogs much less a coyote .unless every shot is a head shot .Plus the .223 is cheap to shoot .
Yes, the .17 drifts.... so does any .22 caliber, and any other bullet, but the 17 will drift the most out of these just because it is the lightest.... Shoot a 40 gr. out of .22-250 in the wind and then swap it with a 58 gr.- SURPRISE- You can see the difference..... Physics, my dear Watson...
I like the .223 .flat shooting ,with a variety of bullet weights .I had a .17 and the bullet didnt have enough mass for clean kills on ground hogs much less a coyote .unless every shot is a head shot .Plus the .223 is cheap to shoot .
If your not interested in it yourself find out how much he wants and I might be interested..also any particulars on the rifle as far as make, what shape its in, any extras that might come with it.
Thanks
I use a Evil Black Rifle, 223. best shot this year was 265yds (Nikon range finder) & the yote took maybe 1 step, then thought it out 'HEY I'M DEAD."
& this is my Bible sorta say, LOADED with info, stats, guns, velocity cap, downloads, tips clues, put together a cheap amplified caller, download calls etc.etc. It'll keep ya busy for hours, no days. This site has it all.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Ohio Game Fishing
3M posts
62.3K members
Since 2004
A forum community dedicated to Ohio’s fishers and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about safety, gear, tackle, tips, tricks, reviews, reports, accessories, classifieds, and more!